Healing Hearts
by Rollins221
Summary: Amanda struggles to help a young girl find her voice. Read, review and enjoy! Eventually going to give Amanda some romance down the line
1. Chapter 1

**Healing Hearts**

Amanda loved the rush putting bad guys away gave her. What she hated was seeing people hurting, especially the kids. That always made her heart ache so badly she could hardly stand it. She was sitting in the squad room drinking her first cup of coffee when Cragen came over to her. "You ready, Rollins?" he asked.

"For what, Cap?" she questioned, perking up.

"There's a little girl who needs us, only it's a little more complicated than usual. She's 5, and she's spent all her life living in Bellevue."

This saddened Amanda greatly. "Bellevue? Why?"

"Her parents left her there as a baby, and the staff took her in. In her whole life, she's never talked, but she draws, and Rebecca Hendrix called us because her pictures have gotten really dark. Hendrix is afraid she may have been abused. Would you mind going over? Nick, Liv, Munch, and Fin are all in court on separate cases. Maybe she will open up to you."

Amanda hoped she would be able to help, but she doubted it. "If she hasn't talked in all that time, what makes you think she would now?"

"I admit, it's a shot in the dark, but she needs help, and that's what we're here for."

Amanda nodded and drove over, meeting Rebecca Hendrix at the door. "Hey, Rebecca. Captain said you called into SVU about a little girl. Can you fill me in?"

"Tempe is short for Temperance. She's lived with us since the day she was born. She seemed to develop normally in every other way but her speech, so we encouraged her to draw as a way of communicating. Now, usually, she draws pictures like this one." Rebecca showed her a picture of a unicorn under a rainbow, then continued, saying, "More recently, she's drawn darker pictures like this one of a man standing over her holding what looks like a needle. Here, she also shows us blood."

"You're right, something happened to her," Amanda agreed.

"Now if we can only get her to tell us what," mused Rebecca. "Would you like me to take you to her?"

"Yeah. I think I'm gonna need your help."

They walked down to Tempe's room. Amanda let Rebecca go in first, then slipped in behind her.

"Tempe," she said gently, "Amanda's here to talk."

"I'm a police officer, Tempe," Amanda told her, bending down. "Rebecca can stay while we talk. I'm not gonna hurt you. I just want to find out what happened so I can help."

Tempe held her throat. She couldn't talk. Hadn't Dr. Becca told the police lady that?

"I know you have a little trouble finding your voice, but Rebecca said you draw really well," Amanda said, smiling. "She even showed me some pictures you drew. Do you feel like talking to me now with the pictures?"

Tempe looked at Rebecca for help.

"Go ahead, honey," she said.

She looked over at Amanda and nodded.


	2. Chapter 2

**Room of Temperance Bradley**

** Bellevue Psychiatric**

** December 20****th,**

"So,Tempe, tell me, where's home?" Amanda asked her

Tempe drew a picture of the building.

"Here?"

Tempe nodded.

"Have you made friends here?"

Again, she nodded.

"Can you show me?"

Tempe nodded happily, drawing a picture of her holding hands with Rebecca, who stepped forward and asked, "Who's that?"

Tempe pointed at her.

Rebecca smiled. "Is that when we went to the park?

She gave her a grin and nodded, tapping her fingers on the crayon-rendered balloons in the drawing.

Rebecca nodded wisely. "Yes, we got pretty colored balloons."

"Do you go to the park a lot?" Amanda asked.

Once again, Tempe gave her an affirmative gesture, pointing excitedly at the brown and white puppy that was in the corner of the drawing.

"There's a puppy there?" Amanda questioned.

Tempe looked to Rebecca for help in explaining,

"Yes," she said, smiling at her. "There's this Australian Shepard puppy. Her name is Nelle. Tempe likes to pet her, and her owner doesn't mind. She's real friendly. Her owner brings her there every day to run and play when there aren't a lot of people around."

"Do you like to play with Nelle?" Amanda inquired.

Tempe nodded enthusiastically and made a throwing motion with her arm.

Amanda didn't understand, so she looked at Rebecca.

"She's telling you she likes to throw a tennis ball for Nelle when we see her," the doctor explained.

Amanda smiled "I bet she really likes that."  
Tempe gave her a grin in return.

"You want to play catch?"

Tempe reached out and squeezed her hand, and Amanda chuckled warmly. "I'll take that as a yes."

A few hours later, they were all playing catch when a male doctor came by the door of the room. Very quickly, Tempe's happy demeanor changed. She scurried into a corner and pulled her knees up to her chest. Rebecca glanced at Amanda briefly, then bent down next to Tempe."You're safe. Don't be afraid. We won't let anyone hurt you."

"That man that walked by the door just now, is he the one who hurt you?" Amanda asked.

With tears welling in her eyes, Tempe nodded.

"Can you show us how, Honey?" Rebecca prodded gently.

Tempe shook her head frantically.

"It's okay," Amanda comforted her. "We're here for you."

After what seemed like a very long time to both women, Tempe finally rose and walked back to the table. She picked up her crayons and drew a picture of the man sticking her with the needle. Then she drew one of him touching her between her legs. Both Rebecca and Amanda knew that the next step would be the hardest. They would have to help her find words for what had happened so she could tell Casey and Casey could put the man away.

Amanda smiled at her. "You're a brave girl, Tempe. Can I take the pictures?"

Tempe, who was now snuggled into Rebecca's comforting arms, nodded.

**Office of Assistant District Attorney Casey Novak**

** December 21**

"And Temperance never spoke the accusations?" Casey asked, trying to understand what she was up against.

"No, " Amanda admitted, "but she reacted in a scared way when she saw the man walk by the door, and she drew it all out for me and Hendrix,"

Casey shook her head "I may not be able to put her on the stand."

"Why not?" Amanda asked, even though she knew what she would say.

"Well, number one, she's 5, and most judges don't consider a child able to be sworn in that young. Number two, she didn't make the accusations verbally, she drew them. The defense might see that as a sign she's incapable of knowing what really happened. They might also say we interpreted the pictures wrong and that she actually meant something entirely different by them."

"So there's no way we can help Tempe?"

"There may only be one way, and that's to get her to say the words out loud."

"Casey, she's never talked at all."

"Then we may have a big problem."

Amanda sighed. Now she was really going to need Rebecca's help. They simply had to help Tempe find her voice. Otherwise, the doctor would be able to go on abusing who knows how many others. It was now or never.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N Hope everyone has had a good holiday. Enjoy!' **

** Office of Dr. Rebecca Hendrix**

** December 24****th**

It was Christmas Eve, but Amanda was in a terrible rush, and she was lucky to have found Rebecca in her office."So we need to find a way to get her to say the words aloud, and it would help if we could get her to say the man's name so we know for sure who she's accusing," she was explaining to her..

"That may take time," Rebecca said. "She's never spoken, so when she first does, it may be broken and laborious."

"It could be the only way Casey can help us help her."

"I'll try. I'll let you know what I get from her."

Amanda nodded, then said , "Rebecca, what are you doing here on Christmas Eve?"

"My family's out of town and I was worried about Tempe."

"I can understand that. Do you think you'll be able to help her?"

"I'm gonna do my best. I'll let you know."

**Room of Tempe Bradley **

** Later that night**

Rebecca walked into the room. Tempe sat in front of the small window looking out at the glowing Christmas tree on the lawn. "Tempe?" she asked.

Tempe turned, a great smile spreading across her face. She pointed at the tree.

Rebecca smiled, too. "Tomorrow is Christmas."

Quite suddenly, Tempe giggled. It was a halted sound, but a start all the same


End file.
